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The Republican Party has for a long time been perceived as the party that is not sympathetic to criminal justice reform. The common opinion is that those who favor the legalization of marijuana and other drugs are usually associated with the Democratic Party. This same rationale has been applied to justice reform as well. However, things have been changing now as the Republican Party continues a stronger and more public push to promote conservative ideals within our justice system.

As we ring in a new year, we see members of Congress reinvent themselves quicker than Americans sign up for gym memberships. In Washington, in an election year, Republicans tend to adopt a conservative façade, only to wait until after November to show their true colors. Senator John McCain, for instance, demonstrated this behavior after his failed bid for the White House, following a dismal 69 percent rating on the FreedomWorks Congressional Scorecard in 2009 with an apparently conservative 96 percent the following year. After securing re-election, his rating dropped to as low as 48 percent.

At a recent Heritage Foundation event, Senator Mike Lee made the conservative case for criminal justice reform. Noting the rationale behind the conservative’s view, some background on criminal justice, and tying both concepts into reform from the conservative perspective, Senator Lee emphasized the importance of hope and redemption in the effort for justice reform.